Leading the Way – Comprehensive Parkinson’s Care at Eisenhower

Neal Hermanowicz, MD, confers with Parkinson’s patient Norman Okner. 248In the world of the Parkinsonian, Eisenhower Medical Center’s Phillip and Carol Traub Parkinson’s Center is tranquility amidst a sometimestormy sea. In this two-part series, Healthy Living magazine will explore not only the many services offered by the Center and its nationally renowned practitioner, but also the scope of cutting-edge treatments that are available to patients here, treatments that are provided by a caring, compassionate and dedicated staff of professionals who are virtually unmatched in Parkinson’s care.

Established in 1995, the Center has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years with the continued support of Eisenhower and the help of private donations — principally Phillip and Carol Traub, for whom the Center is named.Today, the Center provides an array of comprehensive services for people with Parkinson’s disease and their families, services that include diagnosis and medication maintenance, as well as programs offering exercise, education and support.

At the heart of this state-of-the-art Center is the commitment and dedication of Neal Hermanowicz, MD, a Board Certified Neurologist who has served as Medical Director of the Eisenhower Phillip and Carol Traub Parkinson’s Center for the past seven years. Amazingly, Dr. Hermanowicz also serves as a full-time faculty member with the University of California, Irvine (UCI), as Professor of Neurology,Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, and Director of UCI’s Movement Disorders Program.

“This is a job that I’ve actually been training for all my life,” Dr. Hermanowicz tells Healthy Living magazine of his work with Parkinson’s disease. “I find tremendous satisfaction with the patient interaction and the ability to provide good, quality care for people with Parkinson’s.”

That training includes a medical degree from Temple University’s School of Medicine, a residency in Neurology at the University of Wisconsin and two additional years of training in Movement Disorders at the University of Michigan. Most neurologists are not specifically trained in the area of movement disorders. In neurology, as in internal medicine, although it is possible to sub-specialize or take additional training in areas such as epilepsy, stroke or movement disorders, according to Dr. Hermanowicz, most neurologists do not.A common movement disorder is Parkinson’s disease.

Eisenhower Phillip and Carol Traub Parkinson’s Center patients have not only the skilled care of an expertly trained and seasoned professional, but also an extra advantage – a doctor who is available to answer questions around the clock! Dr. Hermanowicz is accessible to his patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“It is important that I am available for urgent communications with my patients if they’re having problems,” Dr. Hermanowicz says. “One of the issues in treating patients with Parkinson’s disease is that some of the medications can cause unpleasant side effects, and people are often alarmed by some of these side effects.”

The extensive training and accessible care of its practitioners is just one aspect that sets the Eisenhower Phillip and Carol Traub Parkinson’s Center apart from other Parkinson’s care facilities nationwide. The Center’s comprehensive care program is unusual in that it provides a “one-stop” shop for treatment and ancillary services like physical therapy and speech therapy – services that Dr. Hermanowicz says are “vitally important” to people with Parkinson’s.

In the next Healthy Living magazine, we’ll explore some of the specific treatment regimens currently available at the Eisenhower Phillip and Carol Traub Parkinson’s Center, as well as what’s on the horizon for Parkinson’s care.